Fade To Black
by Author of Doom Earth
Summary: Draco Malfoy and Rachel Black have known eachother since childhood but with the war between The Order of the Phoenix and The Death Eaters brewing, their lives are about to be changed drastically... COMPLETE!
1. Intro

Disclaimer: I do not own Draco Malfoy, or any other licensed Harry Potter characters, creatures, spells…etc. All are copyright J.K. Rowling.

Note: The chapters in this story I originally had on Quizilla so there are far more there. Rachel, while a creation of my own, is meant to be the reader of the story… if that makes any sense… So I would appreciate all you Mary Sue hounds to take note of that. If you would like the link to my quizilla page, put your email in a review and ask me, I will be more than happy to reply! 

Rachel Black pulled the black velvet blanket closer over her shoulders, fighting off the bitter January winds that crept through the agape window.

"Rachel, child, wake-up!" A tall man in concealing black and grey robes opened the door and commanded of her in a loud whisper.

"Mmm… Father? What time is it?" She sat up groggily, pulling the covers around her chest.

"It's nearly eight in the morning, Rachel, and I'm sorry to wake you up on a Sunday, but we have the ball tonight and you're to be ready by three." Regulus Black's voice usually sounded harsh and cold, yet had an unusually pleasant and warm tone when he was speaking to his daughter.

"Of course, Father. I will get ready." She smiled and he smiled back, closing the door behind himself. Rachel scrunched her toes on the blue and grey oriental rug of the guestroom she was staying in. She slipped her feet into warm, black slippers and made her way across the stone floor. It figured that the Malfoy family would have dungeon-like guest rooms. There was already a warm bath waiting for her. "Courtesy of a house elf, of course." She slipped out of her nightgown and placed her right foot in the water to test. "They always do their jobs well." After washing, she changed into the outfit laid out for her by Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy; an elegant black dress with deep green accents, and proceeded to ready herself when someone came into the bathroom.

"Why Rachel, dear, you look absolutely lovely in that gown." "Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy." Rachel smiled politely at her.

"Allow me, will you? I haven't had the fortune of dressing a daughter of my own." She took the carved silver brush from Rachel's hands and brushed through the seventeen year-olds long black hair. "Are you looking forward to the ball?"

"Yes, I am." She lied. Rachel wasn't one for boring balls where they danced, ate, and spoke properly. She would much rather be head banging to the Weird Sisters in jeans and boots.

"If you'll excuse me, dear, the guests will be arriving soon. Lucius and Draco should be returning to the manor any moment now, I shall send Draco up as soon as he is ready." Rachel thanked Narcissa and sat back on the bed, pulling her shoes to her side and slipping them on. Draco Malfoy. She hadn't seen him in years, not since she was 10. Because she lived so far away, Rachel had previously attended Beauxbatons School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, while Draco went to Hogwarts. Now, both had graduated from school and were starting new, adult lives.

Rachel sighed, not knowing how much he could have changed in all those years. She was worried that he would be a jerk, or an idiot, or just plain annoying. She didn't have long to wonder when a knock came at the door.

'Finally! SOMEONE knocks!' She thought. "Who's there?" Her voice carried through the door.

"Rachel Black? Are you in there? It's Draco Malfoy, Mother and Father say that I am to escort you to dinner."

"Come in." She stood up as the doorknob turned.


	2. A Reunion

Disclaimer: Yeah yeah yeah… we all know I don't own Harry Potter of Draco Malfy or anything… For full disclaimer, read chapter 1.

Rachel fought every urge to bite her lower lip as Draco walked in the door. She hadn't seen him for years and wasn't sure what to say. He had definitely changed physically. She had always remembered being taller than him, a memory that made her snicker. "Think I'm funny looking, do you?" Draco raised his blond brow over his inviting grey eyes.

"No!" She said as a reflex. "Er.. yes VERY funny, FerretBoy." She stressed the name, teasing him. She had a ferret when they were younger and it always seemed to enjoy snacking on Draco's hands. "PLEASE tell me that you don't have that THING anymore!" He scrunched his nose. "You've changed." He eyed Rachel up and down, face unreadable.

"And..?"

"And... you're a lot shorter than I thought you'd be." He smirked. Rachel refrained from scowling.

"I happen to be 5'7", thank you very much, which is two inches taller than average." She crossed her arms and gave a small "Hmph!" "Pardon me, M'LADY..." He took her right hand, kissing it with a bow. "I did not mean to OFFEND." He sneered and dodged her playful punch.

"God, I never thought I'd say this, but, I MISSED you!" She gave him a small, friendly hug.

"You ready to have your brain bored to death?" He offered a hooked left arm.

"Why of course, LORD Malfoy." She placed her hand on his arm and feigned propriety and nobility.

"Then let us join the party." He gave her the trademark Draco smirk.

There was the entire usual crowd there; Death Eaters all assembled around the grand dining room table, yet dressed in formal evening garb instead of black, hooded robes. The mealtime conversations consisted of politics, the Dark Lords plans, and curses. Oh, and the frequent anti-muggle comments.

"This is all immensely dull…" Rachel muttered to Draco, words inaudible to all others seated nearby. "Who is that girl at the end of the table? She keeps giving me death glares!" Rachel nodded in the direction of the middle of the long table.

"Pansy Parkinson." Draco scoffed. "She has it in her head that we're in love."

"Bully for her." Rachel rolled her eyes. "Has she always looked like..?" Rachel trailed off, searching for an appropriate word.

"Like her jaw wasn't properly attached? Unfortunately." They sniggered. "She's not even that good a lay." Rachel stopped laughing and looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Excuse me?" She most certainly didn't look amused.

"N-nothing…" He blushed a little and then scowled at himself. He didn't know why he cared what Rachel thought about him, she was just a friend. Well, not even a friend, really, they hadn't seen each other for over seven years. They spent the rest of the meal in silence with each other.


	3. The Ball

**Disclaimer: I do not own any lisenced Harry Potter characters… Well DUH! Come on, did you actually think I do?**

**If you want to see more of this series sooner, as well as the next set of the series, here is my Quizilla account: it came for the ball part of the afternoon, Rachel sat herself down on a dark green silk poof. Not that she couldn't dance. She could dance just fine. There really was no reason to dance. Most of the adults were waltzing around the deep mahogany floors, while others congregated in smaller groups, laughing and regaling in stories of past hilarities- usually at the expense of muggles. Rachel was fine with muggles as long as they didn't bother her, she wouldn't bother them. However, they tended to bother her frequently.**

"Look, Rachel, if I offended you..." Draco came over to where she was sitting, rubbing his arm. Those who knew him knew that he was not one to apologize.

"Not everything is about you, Draco. I could care less who you give a bloody banger to." Rachel said truthfully, or did she? He was just her friend, shouldn't she be congratulating him on his male virility or something? "Hm? What was that?" She had been lost in thought and had not heard him speak again.

"I asked you, Rachel Marie Black, if you would care to dance?" He put on his cool Malfoy air of charm and extended a pale hand.

"I... sure, why not?" She took his hand with her own, covered in a black silk glove.

He whisked her out onto the dance floor, evidently well practiced in dancing as well as his other skills of refinery. For half a second, Rachel was impressed at the way he led her in the timeless dance. Then she remembered that most of the old-blood families, like her own, taught their children like the old nobles. Otherwise, there was no way that she would have known how to waltz at age seventeen.

"You dance a lot better than the others." Draco broke her thought stream again with a whisper.

"Thank you, you're very good on your feet as well." Draco was about to comment, a smirk on his face, when he saw the challenging smirk that played across Rachel's face. Her chocolate brown eyes dared him to say something nasty.

"Well, I thank you. "He settled on a simple thanks, hell-bent on not pissing her off anymore.

They danced around for a while as another eerie slow song came

from the magicked room.

"I don't know what he sees in her that he can't see in me." Pansy crossed her arms and grunted.

"You're way more evil than her, Pansy." Millicent Bullstrode assured her best friend.

"Hey, they're coming over here, act nice!" Pansy snapped, puffing out her chest for Draco. "Hello there, Draco dear! How are you tonight?" She greeted him with a hug and une bise (That's what the double cheek kiss is called-thank you French class!).

"Uh, hi Pansy, uh, Millicent. This is Rachel. She's Regulus Black's daughter and an old friend.' He took care of the proper introductions, sort of, and Rachel gave the courteous air kiss version of une bise that their kind always did at meet and greets.

"Nice to meet you both. Did you go to Hogwarts as well?" Rachel had learned her etiquette lessons well and knew how to make proper small talk.

"Uh, yes, we did. Where did you go to school?" Pansy sized Rachel up.

"I went to Beauxbatons Academy in France, just graduated as well." She did have a slight French accent and dialect of propriety with her English accent. Pansy and Millicent, however, did not catch on to that very quickly.

"Where are you staying, then?" Blaise Zabini came over to their group.

"This is Blaise Zabini." Draco filled in the gap for Rachel. "And she's…"

"We know each other, Draco." Rachel smiled and hugged Blaise, who hugged her back.

"How do you know him?" Millicent wrinkled her brows.

"Our parents were working together last summer for a while and we've met then." She explained casually. "I'm staying here at the Malfoy manor for a little while." She answered Blaise's question. If Pansy had a drink in her mouth, she would have spat it clear across the ballroom floor. Instead she started to cough, face turning a tinge of red. "Are you alright?" Rachel asked.

"Fine: cough: I'm fine." She shooed away Rachel's helping hand.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of Rowling's licensed characters.**

**Author's Note: Okay, time for a little clarification. I am fully aware that Regulus is supposed to be dead. I am also aware that Narcissa was a Black and that would make Draco and Rachel cousins. I am also aware that Andromeda, as Nymphadora Tonks' mother was not a Death Eater. Additionally, I am aware how Rachel's name doesn't quite fit in with those of the others. I would like to point out that this is set in a different sort of universe where things have been changed for the sake of the story. I also want to remind everyone that this started as a Quizilla quiz and that it was not meant as a Mary-Sue fantasy story.**

**That being said, I want to thank all my reviewers for taking the time to tell me what they think of the story! Thanx everyone- you put a rare smile on my face!**

It was nearly one in the morning when all the guests had left and Rachel was allowed to return to her room. She allowed Draco to walk her there, purely because she wasn't a hundred percent sure how to get to her room yet, especially in her tired state.

"Watch out for that little lump in the rug," Draco steered her a little to the left. "You're wearing heels and you might sprain an ankle or something. "There was an unfamiliar warm tone to his voice.

"Thank you." She smiled at him, too tired to try and hold anything against him.

"Your rooms are right next to mine," He shrugged self-consciously. "It's not that big a deal."

"Really?" Rachel shuddered as a portrait of a man looking a lot like a vampire gazed at her scrupulously and the veela-looking woman who had been licking his face paused to give her a lusty wink. "I didn't realize the rooms were so close." She looked straight on and decided not to gaze at any more portraits.

"Mother and Father thought it would be useful." He drawled. "You know, so I could help you find your way around the manor." He added quickly, seeing her raven brow raise.

"How sweet of you to be concerned about me." She rolled her eyes. "Well, here we are." He stopped in front of slightly familiar looking door that had the words nox noctis candidus carved deep into the mahogany; words she knew to mean Night Beauty, roughly translated.

"Well, goodnight." She said rather quickly, anxious to get cleaned up and crash for the night.

"Sleep well…" Draco winked at her, a gesture that went unnoticed. They lazily embraced each other in a weak, but friendly, hug.

Rachel turned on the shower that was enclosed in glass doors in her bathroom. She slowly took off her shoes on the bed, placing them gently by the wardrobe and she put her jewelry in the ornate jewelry box on the vanity. Her dress she laid out on the bed for the house elves to hang up and take care of as she locked herself in the bathroom and took her shower. Now in a dark green silk nightgown with her waves pulled back in a neat bun, Rachel was ready for bed. She opened her wardrobe and found the dress there, smelling fresh amongst her other clean clothing. She had many nice things, bought for her with a small portion of her father's inheritance as a Black. Narcissa had also insisted on taking her shopping the previous day shortly after her arrival. She felt a pang of sympathy for Narcissa; she had wanted a daughter so badly. Rachel just had to concede to her request when she saw the pleading look on the older woman's face.

There was a small knock at her door and Rachel reluctantly got out of bed. It was her Father and she shut the door behind him as he sat on the couch that sat by the wall.

"Hullo, Father,' She yawned. "Come to say good night?" "Yes, Rachel. I also came to see if you had reached a decision," She bit her bottom lip. She had nearly forgotten why they had come to the Malfoy manor.

"My decision, Father?" She swallowed hard. "I haven't given it much thought…" She admitted.

"Don't feel too bad, Raye darling. Well talk about it at tea, all of us." He said with a hint of foreboding on her part. She embraced her father, who left her to have nervous dreams.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own any licensed Harry Potter characters. Boy, parents lie a lot in this, don't they? Read on!

Rachel needlessly pulled her blood red skirt straight. She was sitting in a high-backed, black leather chair in Lucius Malfoy's personal library. Her father sat in a chair to her left, Narcissa a bit to her right with Lucius next to her. The chair across from Rachel was empty- they were waiting for Draco.

"Sorry I'm late," Draco drawled, not looking very sorry at all.

"Boy, when I tell you to be somewhere at a certain time- YOU BE THERE!" Lucius growled. "You are nearly TWENTY MINUTES late!"

"Now Lucius," Regulus said calmly. "No harm done. Shall we begin?"

"Yes." Lucius grit his teeth. "Sit, Draco."

"Father, what exactly are we going to discuss?" Draco raised a perfectly carved blond brow.

"You haven't told him?" Regulus asked nervously. "That's good. Just fine. To be perfectly honest, I haven't told Rachel everything yet either."

"Father!" Rachel clasped her hand over a gasp. "Aren't we here to discuss my living with the Malfoys while I study in Auror College?" She grew suspicious quickly.

"Ah, Rachel, dear, that is not EXACTLY what we had in mind..."

Draco and Rachel stared at each other with looks of equal confusion from the short distance that separated their two chairs.

"Our Lord has plans for the two of you," Lucius began the explanation. "He's had them ever since you two were children." "The Dark Lord," Rachel rubbed her arm over her Dark Mark that had been given to her after her Death Eater initiation on her sixteenth birthday. "What does he want with us?"

"What I want," Came a hissing voice from the fireplace. "Is you two." Voldemort's slatted red eyes looked out at them from the fire. "My Lord." The men all got up and bowed as Rachel and Narcissa curtsied.

"Draco Malfoy, Rachel Black," Voldemort addressed the two teens while their parents sat down. "I want that you should marry." His words made an already pale Rachel blanch even more. She could feel an icy shock flow down all the nerves of her body, making her eyes roll back as she dropped to the floor in a dead faint.

Draco was not much better for the news. He made a somewhat strangled sort of noise and had to hold himself up with a hand on the mantle as he choked on air.

"You want us to WHAT, Lord?" He said between coughs.

"The children of my two strongest, most loyal Death Eaters," Voldemort's smile was pleasant as mucus mixed with toenail bits. "Married." Lucius and Regulus had both seen Rachel faint and had lifted her up and placed her on a small sofa.

"My goodness, Black. Is your spawn alright!" Voldemort snapped. He did NOT like the reaction his news was getting. "I will leave you to reason with your offspring." And with a sneer, Lord Voldemort was gone.

"_Enervate_." Regulus poked Rachel with his wand and she sat up with shock. Her snaky black locks flew in places over her face and her honeyed eyes were wide. "Are you alright Rachel?"

"No!" She spat. "How can you even ASK me that!" Her cheeks were starting to tinge the pink of rage. "I have to MARRY DRACO!"

"Hello! STILL STANDING HERE!" Draco punched the wall. "And I am NOT much happier than you are!" He crossed his arms to match her own; they now stood face-to-face in the middle of the room.

"I AM SEVEN BLOODY TEEN!" She thundered. "I DO NOT NEED A HUSBAND!"

'_Actually, this might not be so bad_.' He thought as he saw her chest heaving up and down and her long legs poking out from under her skirt. "Do we HAVE to marry?" Draco was being strangely the reasonable one, addressing their parents. He did not want to lose the wonderful perks of being a handsome, aristocratic, eighteen-year-old bachelor.

"Yes," Narcissa's calm voice replied. "You do."


	6. Chapter 6

Rachel slammed the door to her chambers, her cheeks turning the shade of her lips. She threw the decorative pillows off the bed and held one of the larger pillows to her face. Screaming into the pillow seemed to help her rage a little and she just stewed in silence afterwards. She had been looking so forward to her eighteenth birthday; now, she had to marry Draco once she turned eighteen. Rachel sat with her legs crossed, hanging over the edge of the bed with her arms folded over her chest. She heard the knock, but didn't care to talk to anyone at the moment. The problem, however, with living in the wizarding world was that it was difficult to keep others out of locked rooms.

"Rachel, be reasonable..." Regulus begged. He, Lucius and Narcissa were now standing inside the room in front of her.

"Father, I am nothing if not reasonable." She scoffed. "I believe it is all of you who are being unreasonable!"

"Perhaps, dear cousin, you should let me talk to her?" A voice not unlike Rachel's own, mature, commanding and slightly husky came from the doorway.

Standing at the doorway, leaning on the frame with shapely white arms, was Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Aunt Bella!" Rachel shot up and ran over to the slightly older woman, who hugged her warmly. Looking at the two next to each other always made others gape. Bella, having been born a Black, had their traditional jet-black hair, eerie golden-brown eyes, and pale skin. Rachel also inherited these genes. They were both very strong-willed and independently powerful witches, with a little streak of madness in them, and it was uncanny just how similar they were. The only major difference was that Rachel, at 5'7", had grown to be an inch taller than Bella, who was nearly eighteen years older than Rachel. Bella also had thin lines on her face and her eyes seemed to have lost the golden sheen during her time in Azkaban.

"Why don't you leave me alone with my niece for a little while, hm?" Bella dared the others to object, madness replacing that old malevolent shimmer from long ago.

"Alright, Bella." Lucius finally spoke, desperate to make sure there would be no halts in their plans.

Bellatrix and Rachel sat down on the ebony colored velvet bedspread and smiled at each other.

"So, you have objections to marrying Draco Malfoy?" Bella tossed her black waves behind her shoulders, forcing it out of her eyes.

"Of course I do!" Rachel snapped. "I don't want to be married yet, especially to someone I do not know well." She insisted, glaring a hole in the wall that separated her from the offensive male.

"You know," Bella smirked. "I've met him before, and you are quite lucky." She experimented with a look between her previous smirk and a coy grin. "He is quite handsome, tall, rich, and purely wicked and evil." The playful tone of her Aunt's voice made Rachel's lips curve up ever so slightly.

"Well, he is all those things, I suppose," She sighed. "But I had always wished that I would have a choice in the matter."

"Darling Rachel," Bella's voice grew a bit softer, gentler, and she touched the younger girl's cheek. "None of us have gotten to choose before, but we have all ended up happy."

"How is Uncle Rudolphus?" Rachel said, remembering for the first time in a while that he was working very closely with Lord Voldemort.

"He is wonderful," Bella smiled. "Our Lord makes us happy to serve under him."

"That's good." Rachel's smile slowly seceded.

"The Dark Lord has yet to steer me wrong, and he tends to be right about these things, given past examples..." Rachel reasoned with herself out loud.

"I suppose, in time, I can learn to love Draco." Her voice had more than an iota of defeat to it.

"Wonderful!" Bella clapped. "Now we get to bother your beefy fiancé for a deliriously lavish and expensive engagement ring!" She taunted. "But just out of curiosity, if you had to choose now..." Bella thought aloud rather absently as they got up to go to supper.

"Who would I choose?" Rachel finished for her and paused in thought. "I don't know." She frowned.


	7. Chapter 7

Rachel and Draco had been given time alone in one of the Malfoy's smaller parlors, a phrase here meaning they were falsely led there and locked in for several hours. A fire roared in the smooth granite fireplace, shedding gold light over the entire room, making Draco's gray eyes shine silver and the gold in Rachel's stand out brighter. They sat, each in their own armchair, staring at each other darkly. Looking at the two, they were very opposite in appearance. Rachel with her long, dark hair and brown-gold eyes, full red lips and pallid complexion; Draco with his silver-blond hair that reached halfway down his neck and his light grey eyes of steel.

"Are you not going to say anything?" He asked with defeat, breaking the cold, grey silence.

"I agreed to marry you, isn't that enough?" She said in an airy voice. "Well, if you can't even bring yourself to talk to me, how do you expect us to..." He was cut off by a warning look from Rachel. "Do...?" She waved her hand, waiting for him to finish his sentence. "Married couples stuff." He said diplomatically.

"Draco," She began, more than a little exasperated. "How did they convince you to go along with this?" Her eyes gleamed with curiosity.

"Well," He sighed with admission. "They didn't have to convince me so much after the shock wore off and I thought about it. I mean, look," He got up and walked over by the fire. "You and I used to be good friends, you're a person that I generally get along with (And that's rare), and you're smart..." He trailed off, avoiding her eyes. "You're beautiful..." He said the last part softly, but she heard him. "I just don't think it would be the most horrible thing that could be forced on me." He shrugged. "Why are you so dead set against it?" Rachel sunk a bit in her chair. She felt rather cruel and guilty listening to his speech.

"I just don't think I'm ready for marriage, that's all..." She admitted. "I never thought I'd be eighteen when I married. I always saw myself as having a career first or something. Now," She sighed. "I'm afraid I'll never get to have a life of my own... I'll just be some trophy house-wife who stays home with the kids all day and knits!" She was standing up now with her arms crossed under her chest and her head bowed.

"No wife of mine will ever NEED to work!" He snapped. "I mean, we're pretty well off and what kind of husband would I be if I couldn't provide for you?"

"I wasn't attacking your masculine potential! Although, if you're going to be such an ass, I should!" She threw up her hands in anger. "I WANT to work!"

"You WANT to work?" His mouth made a small O of surprise. "Yes." She frowned at him.

"Oh. Well," He looked at her beautifully sad face and melted somewhere inside his chest. "If you really want to work, I'll let you work." He sighed.

"You'll LET me work?" She raised her brow in annoyance and half growled at the implied ownership he had claimed over her.

"That's NOT what I meant!" He rolled his eyes. "Go ahead and work, as long as it makes you happy, I suppose it shouldn't bother me." He just shrugged.

"Why are you being so NICE about this?" She wanted to cry throughout their entire conversation, but pride stopped her. He could tell she was still really upset though by her voice and her demeanor. "Look, Rachel," He moved towards her and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm just trying to make the best of this. I understand if you don't love me, if you NEVER love me. I'm used to it." He sighed. Rachel's heart wrenched.

"Uh... thanks." She looked up into his eyes and read the sincerity that lived there. "Really, thanks for understanding." Rachel leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.


	8. Chapter 8

Rachel tapped her foot impatiently as she waited with crossed arms outside of Draco's bedroom door. She had on a black top that showed off all of her shoulders and ended in long, bell sleeves and a pair of velvety, blood red pants. The sound of her black strappy sandals echoed through the halls and she felt her patience dropping by the second.

"Draco! You've kept me waiting for nearly thirty minutes now!" She hissed through the door.

"Yes," He finally emerged from his room. "But I am well worth the wait, am I not?" He smirked, knowing full well that he looked sexy in his black pants and green button-up top.

"Keep pushing me and you'll see who falls." She snapped. "We need to go to the Ministry."

"Ah yes, remind me again why you couldn't go without me?" He drawled as they walked downstairs.

"BECAUSE," She was a little agitated at having to repeat the explanation for the twelfth time. "We need to fill out our marriage license and paperwork." She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, right." He knew the reason, but just wanted to push her buttons.

They stopped at the grand ballroom's fireplace and grabbed a little floo powder each.

"Do you want to go first, or shall I?" Draco asked politely.

"I'll go." She tossed the handful of powder into the flames and watched as they turned green. "England Ministry of Magic!" She called as she stepped in. Rachel emerged in the lobby of the familiar Ministry building.

"Hi, can I help you?" A kindly middle-aged witch asked from behind the desk.

"Yes, I'm looking for the department of records, please?" Rachel gave the lady a small smile back and then frowned when Draco emerged from the fire behind her.

"Second floor, take that elevator." Rachel nodded in thanks and grabbed Draco by the arm.

When they emerged from the elevator, a voice called out to them.

"Draco, Rachel! Good to see you!" Avery Knott, a fellow Death Eater and employee for the Disposal of Magical Creatures department was just leaving the offices.

"Hello, Avery." Rachel greeted the man as he kissed her hand. "Knott." Draco shook his hand in a rather unnecessarily manly way. "I have to talk to you, Draco, do you have a few minutes?" Knott looked at the two hopefully.

"That's fine, I'll go get started on the paperwork." Rachel assured her fiancé. She walked ahead down the hallway and into the double doors labeled DEPARTMENT OF RECORDS. It was surprisingly empty and she didn't have to wait in a line, but there was currently no one behind the counter.

"I'll be with you in just a moment!" A voice called from somewhere in the back. Rachel waited patiently until a witch came out to the counter. "Sorry about the wait, can I help you?" The witch was a few inches shorter than Rachel with slightly frizzy brown hair, but looked to be about her age.

"Yes, I need a marriage license." Rachel informed the woman whose nametag read 'Hermione' in engraved gold.

"Oh, you're getting MARRIED!" Hermione beamed while pointing her wand towards a slot on the wall. "_Accio_! That must be wonderful! My name's Hermione Granger." She was so bored with the regular business that occurred in her summer job and was anxious for anything interesting.

"Rachel Black." Hermione's name sounded oddly familiar.

"Oh you must be related to Sirius Black." Hermione suddenly became cautious, the rest of the Blacks had either died or escaped from Azkaban years ago, though a few were pardoned; though this girl didn't seem so bad.

"He's my Uncle, yes." Rachel took the papers Hermione put on the counter for her.

"Who are you marrying, if it's okay to ask?" Rachel considered for a second and was about to answer when the door opened.

"Ruddy jerk..." A young man with messy black hair and glasses muttered to his redheaded companion.

"Hullo Hermione!" The guys greeted their friend.

"Oh! Harry, Ron, this is Rachel. She's Sirius's niece." Hermione introduced.

"Nice to meet you." The black-haired guy reached out his hand and Rachel instantly recognized him. She shook his hand, so she wouldn't look suspicious and gave a polite response, unsure of what to say at the moment. She couldn't do anything drastic in the middle of the Ministry and just wanted to get the paperwork over with so she could go back to hating her life again. Luckily for Rachel, Hermione broke the silence.

"Rachel is getting married!" Well, sort of lucky.

"Really? Would we know your fiancé?" Ron asked kindly. "Possibly, do you know...?" The door once again cut off Rachel as Draco walked in.

"There you are, Darling!" Draco put his arm around Rachel, a vicious glint in his eyes. "Sorry to have kept you waiting." He gave Rachel an affectionate kiss on the cheek and sneered at the others. "Are these cretins bothering you, Love?"

"MALFOY IS YOUR FIANCE!" The trio was more than a little amazed, first at the fact that Draco was getting married, and secondly that he was marrying someone who seemed so nice and pretty.

"Yes, Draco and I are to be married fairly soon." Rachel caught the hint from Draco and decided it would be fun to play along with the 'loving couple' ploy. She looked adoringly into his eyes and pressed up against his chest, giggling as she ran her fingers through his long blond hair. "He's such a wonderful man..." She said lustily. "And one hell of a lover!" She purred and licked the side of his face. Draco grinned and kissed her neck.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Ron gagged.

"Did you get the paperwork, Love?" Draco cooed in her ear, loud enough to be heard by the others.

"Yes, SEXY, I did." She held up the papers and a quill. "Is there somewhere we can sit to fill these out?" She asked Hermione sweetly.

"Uh, yes there's some seats right over there..." She handed Rachel a clipboard and the couple sat down to fill it out.

"What was your middle name again, Darling?" Rachel giggled as Draco's lips tickled her neck.

"Thomas." He stopped for a second and resumed his previous activity.

"Oh yes, after..." Her words cut off as she moaned.

"OH GET A BLOODY ROOM!" Ron yelled.

"We WOULD, Weasel, but the bloody room is special for our HOONEYMOON." Draco drawled.

"Done!" Rachel chirped as she signed the final paper. "Now you sign, Honey." She passed the clipboard to Draco, who took it with a grin and signed all the appropriate places.

"There." He gave them back to Rachel, as well as a deep French kiss. Rachel slowly got up and walked back over to the counter with a grin.

"All done." She smiled as she gave the papers over to a both jealous and disgusted Hermione. "Is that all?" Hermione nodded.

"We best get going, Rachel, love." Draco purred. "I have a SURPRISE for you waiting in your room..."

"Nice meeting you all!" Rachel smiled at their shocked faces and squealed artfully as Draco lifted her up in his arms and carried her out of the office.

He put her down inside the elevator when they were sure that no one could see them and Rachel slapped him hard across the face. "Don't you DARE give that little performance any credulity! If that wasn't to make Harry Potter squirm, then I wouldn't have ever done or said ANY of that stuff!"

"Yes, MISTRESS." He scowled. There was a small silence where they just looked at each other and then they started laughing. They laughed so hard, they were both clutching their stomachs and Rachel had to hold onto the wall to keep from collapsing. "You know," He said after calming a little. "You are one hellova kisser." He smiled. "Why thank you, Love," She wiped her eyes. "You're not too bad yourself."


	9. Chapter 9

Rachel bit her lip to keep from screaming. The HORROR, the PAIN of it all was absolutely unbearable and it seemed to have absolutely no end. She could feel the temperature of her blood rising and dropping as she tried to work her way through such mental anguish. Narcissa, Bellatrix, and a lot of the other female Death Eaters inhabited one of the ballrooms, making arrangements for the wedding. Rachel, herself was standing quite uncomfortably on a footstool while Mrs. Zabini worked on her dress. Now you would think that Rachel, as the bride, would have some part in her own wedding plans, or at least be consulted about her opinions. That was very unlikely, given the fact that she had absolutely no idea as to what her wedding would be like. They told her it was to be a typical Death Eater wedding as befits their rank and status of nobility, and that it would be a wonderful affair.

"Mother? Are you ladies DONE yet?" Draco asked from the other side of the door. "Rachel and I had PLANS..." This was, of course, a lie. He knew that the preparations were a rather swelling pain in the backside for both of them and thought that the only possible way to get them out of all the chaos was to allow the adults to think that they were forming a relationship.

"You can have her in just a few minutes!" Mrs. Zabini snapped. "I'm almost done with her dress!" She played with the skirt a bit and pulled out a few pins. "Done." Even though there was so much noise in the room and so much chaos going on, all the women stopped unanimously and stared at Rachel.

"What, is it that horrid?" Rachel had picked the design for her dress from the selections that Ressala Zabini had set out for her a few weeks ago. She thought it was pretty. She stepped down and looked into the mirrored wall at her reflection. Her dress had a blood red bodice with black lace trim and a black, semi- puffed out skirt. The sleeves were black poufs and the whole thing was very form fitting and it was beautiful on her. She turned around, watching the skirt flare out and she grinned at her reflection. When she finished admiring her dress, she looked over at the women in the room. They were all looking at her with pride, some close to tears, and Narcissa had her hands clasped over her mouth in joy.

"You look so beautiful..." She breathed, walking over to Rachel and fussing with her dress. "If only your Mother was here, shed be so proud..." Narcissa blew heavily into a handkerchief. Bellatrix handed Rachel a blood colored rose and stood back to admire the complete picture. She hadn't done her hair or make-up any special way, leaving it down and her eye shadow the heavy gothic way it always was, but it was so beautiful.

"Hello! Getting impatient out here!" Draco's voice interrupted the moment. "I'm coming in there!"

"Draco Thomas Malfoy! You come in here and I will KILL you!" Narcissa shrieked, a lot tougher than anyone in the room thought she could be. "You cannot see Rachel in her dress before the wedding!" "I'll be out in a few minutes!" Rachel assured. "I love it, Mrs. Zabini, thank you..."

"You're welcome, dear." She pat Rachel on the shoulder. "Why don't you change into your normal clothes, well take care of the dress."

"Okay." Rachel reached behind her and started to undo the laces that held the dress on her, letting it slip down to the floor where she stepped out of it and handed it off to Mrs. Zabini.

"This is getting quite annoying," Draco leaned on the door, which apparently hadn't been bolted properly because he fell right into the room, knocking right into Rachel. Into Rachel in her UNDERGARMENTS.

"YOU BASTARD!" She threw him off of her and jumped behind the closest piece of furniture. "We TOLD you not to come in here!" "I didn't do it on purpose!" He spat as he got up from the floor. "Besides, I didn't see anything I wouldn't see eventually anyway." He smirked at her.

"Oh, don't be so sure about THAT!" Rachel came out from behind the couch, fully dressed due to a flick of her wand.

"Now you two," Narcissa warned. "Just try to get along!"

"Fine." Rachel sighed.

"Fine?" Draco choked.

"Fine." She nodded. "Are we on for dinner still?"

"Uh, yeah..." Draco said a little shocked.


	10. Chapter 10

Draco opened the door to a black carriage and gestured for Rachel to get in. She obeyed, having been in such a carriage before. He muttered something to the driver before getting in next to her and the thestrals pulled them along the paved road in front of Malfoy Manor. Rachel tersely tugged on the bottom of her shirt, smoothing out it's wrinkles from sitting and turned to Draco.

"Where are we going?" Her brown eyes searched the depths of his gray ones, looking for any hint of malevolence planned for her.

"It's a surprise," He gave her a coy smile treading on the thin line to a smirk. "Figured we should at least have a date before we get married."

"Yeah, probably a good idea." She shifted into a more comfortable position on the satin-covered bench. "Tell me something I don't know about you." Her expression was thoughtful. They knew each other; they just didn't KNOW each other.

"Something you don't know? Like something personal?" He raised a brow in thought.

"Yes," Rachel never took her eyes off of him; she could tell if he was lying that way.

"Well," He began with a small sigh. "I've... killed someone." His voice was painted in notes of gray. "Have you?"

"Well, yes." Rachel frowned. "Part of our job." She folded her arms, suddenly feeling a little cold. "Did you enjoy it? Killing a person..?" "Yes," He frowned, looking away from her gaze. "I enjoyed it."

"So did I." There was an awkward silence where they avoided each other's eyes. "Does that make us bad people?"

"I dunno," He said thoughtfully. " I think it's just who we are." He sighed.

"Who was it?" She felt her throat quiver with the weight of affliction. "Edgar Finch-Fletchley. He was the older brother of a kid I went to school with. That was my first." Draco reflected this memory with rue for his soul.

"Am I upsetting you?" She asked, suddenly feeling a deep pity for Draco. "Naw, I'm fine, how bout you?"

"A little muggle girl, she must have been six. I tortured her to death." Rachel smiled out of the corner of her mouth and then shook her head. "How do our lives turn out like this? How do we become such ruthless killers?"

"Wish I knew. I just do what I was taught." He shrugged.

"I know exactly what you mean." There was a second where they just stared at each other, reveling in their shared pain and then she gave him a small smile.

The carriage stopped and Draco got out, holding his hand out to help her down from the carriage. Rachel thanked him and followed him into an old building that had French writing on the sign.

"I thought you might miss it home in France." He noted her smile and discovered he liked it.

"Thank you..." She trailed off as they were seated.

"Not a problem." He smiled at her, a rarity for the sneering boy. He followed Rachel in opening the menu in front of him and frowned. "Rachel,"

"Yes?" She looked up from behind the red leather menu cover. "It's all in French." He bit his lip.

"Yes, it's a French restaurant..." She looked at him as if a niffler had just burrowed out of his left ear canal.

"I can't read this." He gave her a goofy grin, asking her for help in his own way.

"Oh, well then," She smiled, taking the menu from him. "I'll just have to order for you." Draco scowled at the look of contempt she gave him and the waiter came over.

"Que-est ce vous voulez, Monsieur, Mademoiselle?" The waiter asked.

"Je voudrais le poulet roti avec une salade et mon copain, il veux le steak avec le riz, s'il vous plait." She handed the man their menus. "Et comme boisson?" The waiter inquired.

"Je voudrais de l'eau minerale et il a bu un the." She smiled as the waiter left.

"Huh?" Draco looked aghast.

"Don't worry, you'll like it." She smiled. "Have you heard some of the spells they were talking about for the wedding?" Rachel inquired.

"Yes, they sound... unpleasant." He cringed.

"I agree." She wrinkled her nose. "There hasn't been a proper dark wedding in nearly sixteen years, I think they're compensating." "Yeah, probably." He sighed. "Are you still upset at marrying me?" Rachel looked into his gray eyes and saw a strange sadness in them. "Not as much as I was." She smiled. "I think I just need to accept it. I didn't think I'd be able to choose anyway, tradition, you know." "When do you turn eighteen?" Draco took a sip of his tea.

"Three days, the wedding will be next Saturday." She wiped her mouth of the tiny droplets of water that rested on her lips. "They told me today when I was getting my dress fit."

"Goody." They both snickered as he rolled his eyes.

After eating their food and a few good hours of conversation, they returned home grinning. Draco walked Rachel to her room (Not too difficult a feat considering his was right next to hers.) and they exchanged a hug and a short kiss before going to bed. Narcissa smiled when she had seen them come in the Manor together, laughing and smiling at one another. It seemed that they might just work out after all.


	11. Chapter 11

Rachel bit her lip as the bell chime woke her from her sleep. It was six in the morning of the day that she, Rachel Marie Black, was to marry Draco Thomas Malfoy. She showered quickly, knowing that any moment, her door would be opening to half a dozen witches to get her ready for that night's ceremony. It was to be done, as could be presumed, at midnight; the Dark Lord himself had honored them by insisting on conducting the ceremony. Rachel felt the warm water smooth it way down her body and sighed as she contemplated her situation. Things had changed between her and Draco, that was for sure. It seemed that every time she was around him, she felt somewhat strange. Like she was at home in comfort, yet still as frightened as if she were falling off a high cliff into a vast and icy ocean. In a few hours, they would be married and everything would change. She put on a robe of black silk and walked back into the room she would be sleeping in for the last time. After tonight, she would be in Draco's much larger chambers in his dark wooden bed with black and emerald satin sheets and coverings. She gave a small "Oh!" of an emotion almost like surprise, yet more like grief as she contemplated having to share a bed with Draco, in more than one way.

Of course, if they were married, that's what they were supposed to do, EXPECTED to do. Rachel just wasn't sure that she was ready for that sort of a commitment yet. She was still so young and had the sad wanting of holding onto the last bit of her innocence that was left. It was, in her mind, the one thing that separated her from the others. In her day, her Aunt Bella was an awful big flirt, as well as her Aunt Andromeda. The other noble, full-blooded witches and wizards found love-making to be a leisure-like activity; and if they were to incidentally procreate all the better for a good bloodline. Rachel, however, did not subscribe to this particular theory. No sooner did she enter the room than Narcissa and Bella entered, several house-elves in tow carrying various boxes and chests.

"Oh good, you're awake!" Narcissa smiled. "We have to get my daughter-in-law ready for her wedding!" Both the older women were beaming at her and Rachel gave them a small smile back. She barely had time to reflect on being called daughter-in-law when she was being stripped and then dressed. (She had on her underclothes.) While Narcissa tied her dress Bella was using magic to put make-up on Rachel's pale face. Rachel just stood there and let them ornament her like a life-sized doll and tried to take her mind off of her concerns for the time being, singing in her head. 'I'm getting married!'

Draco turned the faucets on to his preferred temperature and took the towel off of his waist before stepping into the shower. He closed his eyes as the water ran over his long blond hair and down his defined chest, trickling all the way down to his feet. He took his own precious time to wash off, attempting to relax before what was sure to be a grueling, tiresome day and night. He could hear some fussing coming from the next room and heard his mother's voice exclaim

"It would look sooo much better without a bra on, Rachel, Dear!" This sentence wove a smirk onto Draco's lips as he thought about Rachel removing her bra in what was surely an act of reluctance. He committed his own act of reluctance in shutting off the water as he heard a knock at his door. He let the water drip from his body onto the floor and wrapped the same green towel from before around his waist.

"Yes?" He opened the door, leaning on the frame.

"Master told me to bring this to you, young Master." A house-elf held up a chest for Draco, who took it and tossed onto the bed. Draco nodded and the house-elf fled. Reluctantly, he opened the chest to find his vestments for the night. They were to wear their wedding clothes all day long, something Draco was not looking forward to. They looked quite uncomfortable. He put them on slowly and then checked his reflection in the mirror. The black pants fit him well as did the boots that covered the bottom of his feet. The top was a medieval-looking tunic that was light and breezy in the color of blood and on top of it he wore a black vest.

"Not bad." He thought aloud as he admired his own reflection. He contemplated how to do his hair. It had grown far too long to slick it back like he had in his earlier years, he COULD put it in a bit of a ponytail, but didn't like the girly-ness of the thought. He settled for combing it nicely, the shortest parts of his long bangs just touching his well-carved cheekbones. With nothing else to do, he leaned back on his bed, propping himself up on the bedpost and entertained himself with a book. The whole picture of him was very inviting, and had Rachel seen him, she would have felt more than a little nervous. Draco just relaxed, trying to distract himself before the wedding.


	12. Chapter 12

The forest grounds of Malfoy Manor were littered with black and red chiffon that hung from tree to tree and a black, lengthly rug of velvet reached up to an altar made of rowan that stood in front of the family graveyard and many ancient mausoleums. It was just a little after eleven at night when Draco was escorted down the aisle by his Father to wait in front of his fellow Death Eaters, who stood in fine black cloaks that covered more elegant wear in the same color. Lord Voldemort stood in the middle of the altar holding a black leather-bound book with faded red writing on the spine. Draco was able to recognize the Latin words nuptiae veneficium; meaning Marriage Sorcery. The panic quickly grew inside of him and sent a wave of cold down his spine; that didn't look like a very pleasant book for wedding spells. He rocked a bit on his heels and peered over at the giant sundial that was not too far away, attempting to see what time it was. They were to be married in only twenty minutes; at midnight.

Rachel sucked in a deep breath, trying to prevent a panic attack. She was nearly being pushed out of her room and down the stairs. Bellatrix opened the door that led to the closest path to the forest and Narcissa led Rachel by the arm. It was dark, but in the full moon's light and that of the stars that dotted the navy deep sky, she could see the path laid out for her. Regulus took her by the arm and as they stepped onto the long, black carpet, an eerie tune struck out all around them, like a dome of chillfull notes surrounding the forest.

Rachel took yet another of many deep breaths as she slowly and gracefully worked her way to the altar. This was it. In only a few short minutes she would be standing next to Draco and joining her life with his. She paled at the thought, her face looking even more ghastly beautiful in the darkness. Her brown eyes darted along the aisle at the black-clad clan that watched approvingly and then let them focus up the aisle where her future husband was standing. She noted that he looked just as nervous as she had felt and that gave her a little bit of comfort. She could hear every beat of her heart, every shuffle of her skirt against the velvet. She could feel her chest heaving with each inhale and exhale and it made her eyes widen a little.

'Calm down.' She mentally scolded herself. 'TRY to be happy about this... make an effort at least.' She stopped walking as she had reached her mark and her father let go of her arm. Rachel turned her head a little, watching Regulus as he moved away towards the others and suddenly felt quite alone and scared.

Voldemort opened up his small mouth and started to speak in Latin. Neither bride nor groom really heard a word he said over the pounding drums that lay inside of their chests. They turned toward each other, brown eyes gazing up into gray ones, and then it happened.


	13. Chapter 13

"Stop this right now!" Rachel dropped her bouquet of black and red roses as her mouth formed an O of surprise. It had been years since she had seen him, yet his voice still sounded familiar to her ears. "U-Uncle…?"

Rachel remembered walking down the halls of number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London. She had been only fifteen when she and her father got word that her uncle Sirius would be returning to her family's birth home- and that he would be bringing Dumbledore with him. They had to leave in a rush, sending them back to the family's home in France with Andromeda. Neither was very happy at having to leave. She had never really known anything about him besides him being a blood traitor and a filthy muggle lover who did Dumbledore's bidding. Those facts alone told her why her family had abandoned him a long time ago. His voice brought back the memory of when she had run away shortly after. Rachel loved their French home, but had felt a special connection to the Grimmauld home and she wanted to go back there badly. While her father escorted her Aunt to a ball, Rachel abandoned all she had and used a spy mirror that they had set up to the old home to transport herself there.

When she had reached home she found herself not alone and jumped behind a curtain, peering out to see who had entered. A tall man who looked a great deal like her father came in sighing as he flopped down onto a dusty sofa.

'That must be Sirius.' She told herself. He didn't look all too bad, and Rachel, being the rebellious teen she was, decided to make herself known. She walked out from behind the curtain, her long-sleeved black dress shifting against her upper leg.

Sirius jumped up from the couch, his eyes alert and his wand at the ready.

"Who are you?" He growled. "And what are you doing in my house!" While she should have been scared, being around dark magic and Death Eaters her entire life taught Rachel how to stay calm and collected in a threatening situation.

"I'm Rachel and this is MY house." She replied, a little peeved off that he would be so aggressive towards her when HE was the intruder in her mind. Sirius looked her over and recognized how many of the family traits she had.

"Rachel?" He asked, while searching his mind for the reason it rang in his head. Then his eyes fell upon the old tapestry that displayed the Black family tree and he followed its intricate branches all the way down past his own charred out name of his brother next to his when his eyes fell on a name underneath. Rachel Black.

"You're Regulus' daughter?" He felt his hand drop down to his waist.

"Yes." Her voice was a little more meek than the strong, demanding tone of her previous words. "I am. Are you Sirius?" She had never seen his face before; both he and her father were in Azkaban when she was a baby.

"I had heard Regulus had a daughter, I just wasn't sure it was true..." He gaped at her a little bit. She looked so much like Bella when she was younger, before he was cast out of the family, in a time where his blind faith allowed him to get along with his family.

"I want to live here, in my home. It was left to my father and he left it to me through the bloodline," She crossed her arms. "You can't kick me out." Sirius smiled. She might look like Bella, but she had his spunky streak for sure.

"You can stay, I never said you couldn't." He gave her a strange sort of smile, close to amused with the strain of having not smiled in over thirteen years. "Who's your mother?" He pat the dust off of one side of the sofa and bade her to sit with a hand. Rachel sat down and looked at her hands she had folded in her lap. She didn't like to talk about her mother, not that she knew too much about her. Rachel could barely remember being six years old and watching from the window of a mausoleum as Kingsley Shacklebolt shot her mother down with a blast from his wand. It was only a stunning spell, but when she fell, her head hit a tombstone and she cracked her skull open.

"Her name was Aria Rookwood." Rachel told her uncle, who had conjured them up a tray of tea and biscuits. "She's dead now, nine years."

"I'm sorry." Sirius pat her on the shoulder. "What about the rest of the family, I know Bella, Rudolphus and Regulus are in Azkaban..." He was afraid to say it, but didn't think it would be fair to have her say it out loud. No matter how much hatred he had for his brother, he was still this girl's father.

"You mean Aunt Andromeda?" Rachel sipped her tea. "I live with her at the French home now." Rachel had managed to stay there with Sirius for two weeks until her father spotted her running errands for supplies that were needed at home. In those two weeks, she had grown very close to Sirius.

"Uncle!" Rachel felt tears streaming down her face. Surely he would be able to stop this atrocity?

"That's far enough, Sirius," Regulus pointed his wand at he back of his brother's head. "You don't belong here."

"You can't force her into this, Regulus!" Sirius hissed from a grim mouth.

"Who said she is being forced?" Rudolphus aimed his wand as well as Bellatrix and Lucius.

"This isn't right, she's too young and you all know this!" Sirius lived up to his stubborn nature and would be heard no matter what the cost.

"Give me one reason," Lucius circled around Sirius, hissing in his ear. "Why I shouldn't blow you into little bits!"

"No! Don't hurt him! Please... don't hurt him..." Rachel's eyes got watery as she tried to charge towards them, but Draco held her back where she would be safe.

"You can't stop this marriage!" Lucius thundered at Sirius. "Tell him!" He hollered to Rachel. "Tell him that you want to marry my son!" Lucius' eyes had turned black and he was waving his wand into Sirius face looking quite like a madman.

"Don't hurt him, please..." Rachel bit her lip.

"TELL HIM!"

"It's alright, Uncle. I want to marry Draco." She put her arm on Draco's shoulder to further convince all involved.

"Stop it, the lot of you! Act like the purebloods you are!" Draco found his voice and used it for Rachel's benefit. "How dare you all upset my fiancée like that!" The others went back to where they were before and Sirius stood back a ways away from the despicable black-clad wizards and witches as Voldemort continued the ceremony.


	14. Chapter 14

Rachel sucked back the tears that she had refused to let fall and put on a brave face to prepare her for rest of the ceremony.

"Are you alright?" Draco muttered to her under his breath. He clenched her hand in a comforting gesture from his position besides her.

"I'm fine." Her voice was so soft yet held a jagged, icy edge to it that made his heart sink a foot or two.

"And now," Voldemort's voice sliced through their moment of tension. "To solidify the bond of your marriage with blood." Kelly and Kristin Knott, two twin teenage girls who had gone to school with Draco, stepped forward. They held ornately crafted daggers that shone in the pale moonlight and raised them up as they tossed back their hoods to better see their targets. They both had long hair of spun gold and eyes as blue as the moons glow and they smiled as they opened up small gashes in Draco's left hand and Rachel's right one, Kristin cutting into Rachel's flesh and Kelly into Draco's. Voldemort then grasped their wrists and forced their hands together. The two winced at the sudden jolts of pain that flooded through their arms. Then a strange sensation came flowing through their blood. 'What's going on!' They both thought, and then gasped in shock. 'Draco, are you are you in my head?'

'I was about to ask you the same thing, luv.' He gave her what would have been a smirk had his face not been twisted with pain.

"You may now kiss the bride." Voldemort gave a grin that dripped with sadism and Draco kissed Rachel, interlocking both her hands in his.

The reception was as grand as you would have expected for an affair as luxurious as this one. Both the Blacks and the Malfoys were more than rich, and more than willing to pay for such a decadent occasion. Rachel and Draco barely realized all the celebrating that was going on around them, quite worn out and shocked by all that had proceeded during their ceremony. They sat at the head of the grand, stone table as toasts were made and guest after guest came up in a line to give their wedding gifts; as was tradition. The couple thanked them all politely and shook hands with their fellows, putting on the farce that they knew they would have to hold onto for quite a long time. When the feast was over and no one could dance anymore from the exhaustion, they all lined up by the stairs as Draco and Rachel walked up to go to their chambers. Rachel paused at the top and tossed the bouquet over the railing and behind her back, not even bothering to look into the shrieking pile of girls who fought violently for the decadent foliage arrangement. Draco led Rachel down the hall and through a door that led to his section of the Manor and then to his bedroom door.

"Here we are." He opened it by the polished silver handle and gently pushed it open. Rachel paused for a moment and saw that her possessions had been moved into his large room. "Allow me." He lifted her into his arms, startling her so she instinctively threw her arms around his neck to keep from falling. He carried her over the threshold of their room together and gently put her down on the bed. "Draco..." She started to speak, but he cut her off with a kiss.

"I love you," He spoke to her gently. "Mrs. Malfoy."


	15. Chapter 15

Rachel felt the air catch in her chest as she heard the words that Draco whispered into her ear.

"I love you, Mrs. Malfoy." He told her again, kissing her cheek gently as he sat besides her.

"Draco, I..." Rachel wasn't quite sure what to say to him at the moment. "I just don't know what... I mean, I'm not quite sure what I..."

"I know." His voice got suddenly quiet, heavy with the depression of his heart concaving in his chest. "It's okay." Rachel suddenly felt a great pang of guilt and didn't quite like this new sensation. "I'm sorry, "

"Draco. It's just, way too sudden..." She put her hand on his shoulder and he gave her a small, fake smile.

"I'm pretty tired," He stretched a bit. "You can sleep in the bed, I'll take the sofa if you want." He gestured to a plush emerald chaise that could easily pass for a bed over in the corner of the room.

"No, it's okay." She bit her lip. "We can share the bed, it's certainly big enough." Everything the Malfoys owned seemed to be grand and exquisite.

"If you're sure." He gave a small yawn.

"I'm going to go change."

"That's probably a good idea." Their wedding outfits were covered in sticky, dry blood and had started to get uncomfortable. He gave her a small nod as she went into the bathroom, taking her nightclothes with her.

She washed her face and stripped down to her undergarments, being careful not to do anymore damage to the dress she loved. Her nightgown was blood red, one of her favorite colors, as well as one of Draco's, and its satin material felt comfortable on her flesh. She brushed her teeth and hair, pulling her raven-colored curls back into a ponytail so she wouldn't stifle herself in her sleep. Leaving the dress for a house elf to take care of, she knocked on the bathroom's door.

"Are you dressed?" She asked Draco, being polite instead of barging in on him.

"You can come in." His voice called through the door.

Draco Malfoy was quite a handsome young man. Standing tall at 6'2" with his lean, muscular body, grown hard from quidditch practice. His long blond hair fell into gray eyes that caressed her warmly as he gave her one of his rare smiles. She could see the way his clavicles cut into his broad shoulders and the sheen of the pale skin that covered his chest caught the dark light just right. He wore black pajama bottoms made of the same material as her gown and was reaching into a mahogany drawer where he got out a black tank, which he pulled on over his body.

"Are you alright?" He asked, raising his brow at her sudden pause in the doorway.

"Hm?" She snapped back to reality with a blink.

"Are you alright, Rachel?" He put his hand on her shoulder. "I know that you didn't want to go through with this, and I'm sorry about what my father did..."

"It's not your fault." She cut him off.

"By all means," He sighed, looking off to the side as though he was not sure that it actually existed. "You should hate me." He gave a weak sort of chuckle. "I wouldn't blame you if you hated me."

"I-I dont hate you." She sat down on the edge of the bed, surprised by what he had said. "I don't hate you at all."

Draco was not used to being loved; a fact that would be obvious had someone taken the time to look close enough. His father had always seen him as something lowly and unfit to be of his bloodline; and Narcissa was just a trophy wife who spent most of her time at courtesan affairs or lapping up the lavish life that had been provided for her. Neither had done so much as hug him, not for many years now. Human emotions confused Draco terribly, especially the ones labeled love and affection, even ones like care and adoration. But things were different, for some reason, with Rachel. She had been a friend in childhood, yet in the short time they had spent together since they were reunited, Draco felt a strange connection to her. He found it hard to act his normal, malicious way around her; opting instead for a gentler demeanor. He had even told her that he loved her- the first person he had ever spoken those words to. And he actually meant it.

"Draco, just come to bed." She tried to be soothing. It was obvious that he was upset, and they were both exhausted beyond compare from the wedding ceremony's occurrences. "You need the rest." She begged.

"You're right." He sighed, crawling under the covers next to Rachel. "Goodnight." He kissed her cheek, and she his. "Pleasant dreams."


	16. Chapter 16

By the time Rachel woke up, Draco was already gone.

'He has work.' She sighed to herself, remembering that his vacation time from work was over. She slowly got out of bed and to the shower to start her morning ritual, her body aching from the stress she had been put through lately. Having dressed, she walked down the cold marble floors to the main room of the house, where she found the Malfoys lounging.

"Well look who's up." Lucius smirked. "Sleep well, Daughter?"

"I slept just fine." Rachel replied a little more curtly then she had wanted to. "What hour is it?" She made herself right at home on a chaise and took the tea offered to her by a house elf.

"Nearly midday, Dear." Narcissa didn't bother to look up from her copy of Witch Weekly.

"Is my father awake?" Rachel fought back a yawn.

"He left." Lucius said as he stirred his tea.

"He what?" Rachel nearly dropped her china cup.

"He left," Lucius drawled. "We do have a war to fight, you know." "Yes," She set her cup down on the table. "Excuse me, please. "

Rachel sat on the balcony outside of her new bedroom and surveyed the glorious view of the gardens. She gave an inward sigh, reflecting on the misery that enveloped her life. They wouldn't let her work, and she was miles away from her friends, living in a strange home. Her father had left without even saying goodbye... And Draco was gone. For some strange reason, this little fact pained her the most. She shuddered against the harsh February cold and her pale cheeks tinged pink. So this was the boredom she would have to live with for the rest of her life. Rachel sighed and pulled up the collar on her black coat. The boredom was simply too much to handle and she didn't think that she could go downstairs and deal with Lucius again, so, she decided that she would just leave and go pay a certain someone a visit.

Draco sat behind his desk in the Department of Mysteries, his feet on the wooden top. He leaned back in the reclining chair and read the information that had just been delivered to him with a sly grin.

"Seems Bella has done her job well." He said to himself with a chilling sort of pleasure. The Death Eaters had successfully confused the Ministry to their whereabouts and planned activities, due in a large part to Draco's aid. He had successfully corrupted a large chunk of the Ministry's officials to the side of the Dark Lord; not a particularly easy feat, but he had done it nonetheless.

Surprise. He heard Rachel's voice inside of his head and looked up to see her standing in the doorframe. This is such a useful tool, She gave him a wicked grin. "Now I can keep you in check."

And I you. He smirked back at her. "What are you doing here?" He sat up, putting the papers away in a drawer.

"I came to visit you." She sat on the corner of his desk. "Can't a wife surprise her husband at work?"

"Yes," He pulled her onto his lap. "Of course you can." Are things at home THAT boring?

"Extremely." She sighed. 'I thought you said that I could work," She bit her lip and gave him pleading eyes.

"That I did," He tilted his head down. "I am still working on that, Rachel. Father is giving me a hard time."

"Thank you." She kissed his cheek. In the two weeks they had been married, Rachel and Draco had warmed up to each other considerably.

"How is your other work?" He stroked her soft hair.

It's going quite well, actually. She smiled approvingly. I've arranged for the Vampires and the Banshees to attack in Ireland on the sixth, just as our Lord asked of me. He beamed at her.

"That's my wife."

"You're still not getting any." She tapped him on the nose with her pointer finger.

"I know, I know." He put up his hands in defeat. "We haven't been together that long. I understand."

"Good," She snuggled into him. "Just as long as were clear."

"I'm anxious, Rachel."

"Hm?" She sat up. "What do you mean?"

With Weasley taking over the Order and both sides building up forces…"I can't wait to fight."

"I know." There's nothing more satisfying than the sounds of innocents dying. She gave an eccentric sort of grin, her eyes in a faraway madness.

"I love that look." He said airily.

"What look?" She cocked her head.

The one you get when you think something evil.He smirked.

"You know," She sighed. "You sure have changed."

"Is that a bad thing?" He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.

"No," She kissed him sweetly. "It's a good thing."


End file.
